18 November-Kilkenny Castle

Kilkenny Castle is located in Kilkenny City, Ireland. The Castle, part of which dates from the 13th century, is set in picturesque parkland. The Butler family were residents of Kilkenny Castle for over 500 years from 1391 to 1935.

In 1935 the Butler family decided to sell the contents of the Castle and move to London. The auction was held over five days and raised over £6,000. Over 30 years later Kilkenny Castle was sold for £50 to members of the Kilkenny Castle Restoration Committee by James Arthur Butler 6th Marquess of Ormonde.

Shortly after the restoration committee took possession of the Castle it was handed over to the state. The Castle has since been restored and is under the management of the Office of Public Works. It is a major tourist attraction in Kilkenny and is home to part of the National Art Gallery.

The auction of the contents of Kilkenny Castle, Ireland which was held over five days, began in the year 1935 On This Day.

Kilkenny Castle by mellow cat on 2014-07-06 14:46:37

 

01 March-Hoover Dam

The Hoover Dam is located on the Colorado River about 50km (30 miles) southeast of Las Vegas Nevada. When it was completed in 1935 it became the largest hydroelectric station in the world. Until then the Shannon Hydroelectric Scheme in Ireland was the largest. The Hoover dam was called the Boulder Dam at first. The name was changed to the Hoover Dam in 1947.

Construction on the Hoover Dam began on September 17th 1930. It was completed more than two years ahead of schedule. It began to generate electricity and transmit it 266 miles to Los Angeles for the first time on October 9th 1936. Both the Shannon Hydroelectric Scheme and the Hoover dam continue to supply electricity in their respective countries. The Shannon Hydroelectric Scheme supplies 2% of Ireland’s power. The Hoover Dam supplies electricity to California, Nevada and Arizona.

The Hoover Dam, which is located on the Colorado River about 50km (30 miles) southeast of Las Vegas Nevada, was completed in the year 1935 On This Day.

Hoover Dam

 

 

 

28 February-Nylon

Nylon is a silky, plastic polymer material. It is a widely used material because of its high strength. Nylon is used in the manufacture of items such as fishing nets, tooth brushes, ropes and parachute canopies. It is also used in the manufacture of ladies stockings. Prior to the invention of nylon, ladies stockings were usually made of silk. The semi-synthetic material, rayon, had been invented by the Swiss inventor Georges Audemars in 1855. It was called artificial silk but it proved to be unsuitable for the manufacture of a wide range of products.

The DuPont Company of Wilmington Delaware, USA began research to improve the quality of rayon in the early 1920’s. During the research a team of chemists discovered nylon. The first nylon was produced by Wallace Carothers in 1935. Development of the new product continued during the following years. In 1938 DuPont began the construction of a new facility near Delaware that was capable of producing large amounts nylon.

Nylon was first produced Wallace Carothers at the DuPont Company of Wilmington Delaware, USA in the year 1935 On This Day.

Nylon photo

Nylon photo

Nylon photo

 

 

 

06 July-Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of the people of Tibet. His Holiness the current, and 14th Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso. Gedun Drupa, the person considered to be the first Dalai Lama lived from 1391 to 1474.

The Dalai Lama, who is the spiritual leader of the people of Tibet, was born in the year 1935 On This Day.

Dalai Lama

06 March-Ronnie Delany

Ronnie Delany, Olympic Gold medal winner, is a native of Co Wicklow, Ireland. He represented Ireland at the Olympic Games in Melbourne in 1956 and in Rome in 1960. Delany also won a European Championships Bronze medal in 1958 and a Gold medal at the 1961 World University Games. His victory in Melbourne is regarded as one of the greatest Irish sporting achievements.

Ronnie Delany was born Ronald Michael Delany in Arklow, Co Wicklow in 1935. He moved to Dublin with his family when he was six years old. He was educated in Dublin and at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, USA. In the 1956 Olympic Games Delany set a new Olympic record when he won gold in the 1500m. Together with his international success he also had a 40-race winning streak in the American indoor circuit. Delany was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008.

Ronnie Delany, who set an Olympic record when he won a Gold Medal in the 1500m in the Olympic Games in Melbourne in 1956, was born in Arklow, Co Wicklow in the year 1935 On This Day.

Ron Delany 1957.jpg

Ronnie Delany in Austin Texas for NCAA track meet